hello..wow!! was that a busy four months or what??going to school full time and teaching at thesame time is a lot harder than i thought.but i think i got the hang of it now andam ready for the next semester..

thats just an intro to my new post.

i'm sorry for not having a betterblog these few months. i will try mybest to do better.. and to start that off,i found this guy on the net through 'woostercollective' . com and it's pretty cool. check it out.

Saturday, July 08, 2006

A trip has been planned for this coming Monday, July 10th and 17th. Both Mondays, we'll meet at the front gate of Riverdale farm at 12:30pm. Bring your sketchbooks and drawing tools. We will be outside so bring sunscreen and water. There are animals and beautiful scenery to take in and draw.

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Hey guys, I'm very sorry that I haven't been able to update. I'm all settled in now and ready to go. So, don't be shy, ask questions and leave comments. Thanks for the hard work and have a good time drawing.Here are some of my recent drawings... the gesture is a 5 second gesture and the life drawings are all from 10 - 20 minutes. The sketchbook stuff are all various times and locations. Enjoy!

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Drawing is a task that everyone does on a regular basis. When you write down your name, or write a note to someone, all the little lines that you make are merely drawings. Isn't it funny how a very scribbly written note can still tell you something as much as a very neatly written one? Is it the content that is important or how it is delivered? If we look at speech as an example, one word can mean many different things depending on how it is said. Can the way a word is written change the meaning of the word? I think that it can. Many people don't bother with how they write more than they do with what they write. As students of drawing, I feel that we have the privilege of exploring this medium. Some may think that this idea is leaning towards graphic design or illustration to be expressing with lines rather than explaining with them, but I would say that a drawing or a series of drawings that need to tell a story needs to have a degree of expression on top of good explanation. That would be combining good technical skill (explaining) with good creative skill (expressing). In the beginning of anyone's art (drawing) training, the technical skill is often the focal point of the process in learning. What is the technical aspect of learning drawing? What is the creative aspect? Many students seem to have the right idea when it comes to the creative aspects of drawing because they draw what they think they see. And with that, try their best to make it look identical to the subject. When the drawing is finished though, it often does not look much like the subject. This happens not because we are horrible at drawing, but not so good at looking and correctly analyzing what we see; simplifying reality and adapting those simple shapes and forms as lines on the page. Because everyone can draw lines. Drawing is a task that everyone does on a regular basis. But, our vision and mind just don't challenge those lines enough. When we go to extra life drawing and go do cafe sketches, we are challenging our lines and through more practice of that, slowly we will gain more and more control over our lines. Until one day our struggles will lean toward what kinds of lines to use rather than where to put them.

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

This is a progress report and what we should all be thinking right now.

Also, it is a vision into the future of what you should be thinking.

We are all here for a reason. Ultimately, that reason is universal when looked at from a theoretical point of view. But, that theory has many levels and factors. As individuals studying the arts, we all have the (assumed) reasons and purposes to improve our skills in creating art, as well as expand our understanding of art in the process. What is more important in this race? Possessing a higher level of understanding or a higher skill level of creating art? Now, looking at the two different aspects of this theory, can the two co-exist? Or can one exist without the other? For example, reading many books on the theory of art, art history, art techniques, processes and methods can bring about a higher understanding of the concepts. However, does reading about art make you a better artist? A better draftsman? Does knowledge feed skill? No. I believe that practice feeds skill. And in that process, knowledge is fed. Reading only brings about ideas and theories. Through practice comes understanding and realization of those ideas and theories. It's like reading a cook book but not having to cook anything. We are all studying to become an artist, not to merely know or have an idea of what an artist should be. Everything starts with practice and ends with it. In art, our reason is defined and brought to life by practicing it. That's where we work things out and wrestle with obstacles. Non-artist can have as much or more knowledge of art than an artist, but that doesn't make them a good artist. Reading and studying theory, methods and history is very important, but as artists, what is more important is doing it.Now, with figure drawing, first and foremost is the drawing factor. In the whole realm of life drawing, to most students, drawing the figure well(nicely) is the main purpose. So, naturally, those with that understanding just concentrate on drawing. In drawing, there are many levels involved. Many of these levels do not involve actual drawing, yet seeing is the real trick to learn.Gesturing (posing the figure), Proportioning ( sizing all the shapes) and Structuring (accurate dimension and perspectives). In doing these things very accurately, the anatomy of the figure in it's space will be accurate. Knowledge of the anatomy will help the process of drawing. Those two things are separate, encouraging a practice in balancing the two to correctly depict reality.Gesturing comes with faith. Believing that you see with your eyes exactly what is to be drawn. That you are not filtering an image through your mind and analyzing it to a point of complication. Simple is the way to go. The simpler the better when it comes to posing the figure.Proportioning is done successfully only when the artist is fully aware of the entire size of the subject. It's all about size relationships. Every positive and negative shape has to have a relationship to the whole. Structuring is basically the next step of proportioning because perspective and dimensions are also depicted with lines and shapes. It's just the relationship between those shapes that ultimately create an illusion of space and dimension.

Simple depiction of visual information is all that is required to accurately draw reality. Not much of technical information helps when it comes to drawing and sometimes might even clog up the process. One must know what to do with technical information not just know it. So the way to know is simple. Keep feeding your mind with knowledge and then keep practicing that knowledge until you start to feel comfortable with that knowledge. The one constant thing with my development as a drawer is that the more I practice drawing, theories and methods start to subside and become second nature making drawing more natural and enjoyable. To achieve this state involves a tremendous amount of focused practice, dedication and love for drawing. But you already know that.

Required understanding.

Clear understanding of simplifying the figure.

Understanding of anatomy to the extent of full skeleton.

Ability to capture the essence of a pose with a gesture.

Ability to draw the human figure proportionately and structurally accurate.